


The Voice of Five

by blueydenim



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Female Runner Five, Just Frienships, Les Misérables References, No Romance, Runner Five can sing!, S1M4 Mild Spoilers, Small Runner Five
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:41:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27381352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueydenim/pseuds/blueydenim
Summary: Runner Five is rather heroic, no one can deny it. But underneath the shy and no-nonsense runner, there is one secret that Runner Five has been keeping from the whole world. Unfortunately, Abel doesn't let her keep it in for any longer...
Kudos: 4





	The Voice of Five

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fan fic...  
> Minor spoilers for S1M04.  
> Also, I don't intend to criticize Sam and Simon's singing. This is from Janine's POV.

**Janine's POV**

Janine De Luca was not the type of person who would be worried over a runner. And most especially over Simon Lauchlan. It wasn't her job to deal with the emotional wellbeing of her runners. But Simon's absence from the Mess Hall was a thought that lingered in her mind over the several missions she operated and all the additional planning she was doing with the Major being away.

It wasn't the first time it happened this week. In fact, this was the third dinner in a row where Simon was missing. Her concerns were growing, yet she did her best to hide them. At least from the other runners. But who was there to talk to about this?

Runner Eight? No, she would just tell her to relax and that Simon was just going for another old long run.

The other runners? No, they would probably make up something in fear of getting in trouble with her.

Sam Yao? How would he know? He barely talks to Simon and probably speaks more to that new Runner Five. Janine forgot that this little stature of a runner existed. She had barely spoken a word since the Project Greenshoot helicopter went down and she ever so conveniently showed up to the Township.

That's where Janine strode towards the Runner's Den, fixated on the tent labeled '3'. But as she passed the bathrooms, she heard a voice coming from one of the female showers.

_"Do you hear the people sing?_

_Singing a song of angry men?_

_It is the music of a people_

_Who will not be slaves again."_

_It's just another runner singing,_ Janine sighs. The runners and Sam enjoy singing or at least attempting to sing. In such dark, apocalyptic times, music certainly brought some light into the world, and vocalizing seemed to lift people's spirits, even if they completely off tune. Janine had become accustomed to this.

She urged herself to ignore the runner and continue what to do what she had set out: find Mr. Lauchlan. But the singing continued.

_"When the beating of your heart_

_Echoes the beating of the drums_

_There is a life about to start_

_When tomorrow comes."_

She couldn't help to stop and notice how melodic and on-pitch the voice was. Janine had never listened to songs from Les Misérables before, but it didn't sound like Simon or Sam who sounded like they were being chased by zombies when they tried to sing. This runner had a high-pitched singing voice that was powerful, yet somewhat mellow.

" _Will you join in our crusade?_

_Who will be strong and stand with me?_

_Beyond the barricade_

_Is there a world you long to see?_

_Then join in the fight_

_That will give you the right to be free."_

Eventually, Janine became caught up in figuring out who that mysterious runner with the pleasant voice was. It had no relevance to her work as the acting commander of Abel, but it would perhaps encourage Simon to give opportunities for other runners to sing at karaoke nights, meaning that she'd get less complaints from the residents.

Janine didn't know most of her runners very well, but she could eliminate all the males and the females she saw at the Mess Hall earlier. That left her with Jody, Five, and Sara. She knew it wasn't Sara because she groaned at Simon's idea of having a Les Miserables karaoke night, and it probably wasn't Five because she is already too shy to speak, yet alone sing. It made perfect sense for the runner to be Jody, with her uplifting and bubbly personality.

Still, this was a surprise to Janine. She never expected to hear the runner sing, especially in front of her, but wondered why none of the other runners or Sam had mentioned it before. Did Jody avoid singing since she came to Abel? _No that doesn't sound like her._

Janine made a conscious effort to let this thought go, briskly walking away from the bathrooms before the runner noticed her. But from the distance, she could see three figures heading towards her direction, one of a tall, muscular man, one of a small red-headed woman with long hair and the last was a slightly taller woman.

"Janine! Janine!" The smaller woman shouted from the distance.

Janine recognized the figure and the voice.

"Miss Marsh?" Janine also recognized the man and the taller woman.

"Jenny, we were looking for you everywhere," Simon exclaimed as he let out a deep breath.

Janine let out a sigh of relief. "I've been searching the township for you, Mr. Lauchlan. Your absence from the Mess Hall has been of great concern. I assumed you were in the Runner's Den, although I can not think why you would skip your much needed meals."

Simon chuckles. "It's nothing to be worried about, Jenny," he reassures Janine, putting his long arm around her shoulders.

"We've been in the rec room organizing a karaoke night," Sara explained.

Janine raised her eyebrows. Although she is used to being bombarded with information about missions and runners, this overwhelmed her. There were too many questions in her mind.

_Why is Mr Lauchlan skipping dinner to organize a karaoke night? Did it really take three days to do so? I thought they already had one last week..._

And still, she was processing the thought that it wasn't Jody or Sara who was singing in the shower. That it was Runner Five, of all people.

"Are you alright? " Sara asks Janine as she notices the stunned expression on her face.

"Yes, yes. Completely fine. Absolutely nothing to worry about," Janine almost instantly responds.

Jody smiles. "Well the karaoke night is tonight, we thought we'd make it a big one since Five just rescued a man called Ed and his daughter Molly, and now they're residents of Abel."

"Ah, yes. Ed. I remember," Janine says calmly. "And Runner Five? Where is she? I did not see her at the Mess Hall this evening."

"I think she said that she was going to have a shower before getting dinner," Jody recalled, not sounding entirely confident.

Janine paused. It made sense. Runner Five was having a shower. Runner Five was singing in the shower. But no, that did not make sense.

"Yes. A shower indeed," Janine said, trying to sound as neutral as possible. "Runners Three, Four and Eight, I request that you do go to the Mess Hall immediately and eat your dinner. I do not want any runners being malnourished for the missions tomorrow."

The three runners nodded as they walked away towards the Mess Hall and Janine took a slow walk back to her farmhouse. With the relief of knowing Simon was fine and that all missions were over for the day, all that was left in her mind was the unassuming Runner Five.


End file.
